


Somewhat Above Average

by linndechir



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Cinematic Universe, Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-17 00:03:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11839806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linndechir/pseuds/linndechir
Summary: Diana takes Bruce with her to Themyscira for a few days.





	Somewhat Above Average

**Author's Note:**

  * For [boudour](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boudour/gifts).



Diana joined Menalippe on the small hill that overlooked the sparring grounds. She'd taken the opportunity to spar with her sisters more than once ever since they'd arrived on Themyscira almost a week ago – days Bruce had spent holed up in the royal library with its librarians, searching for any and all information that might help them in the wars to come. That had been their reason for coming, the reason Diana had asked her mother to admit someone from the world of Men into their cloistered realm at all. Hyppolita hadn't been too keen on it, but Diana had talked her around, and Bruce could be surprisingly well-behaved when the situation called for it.

He wasn't well-behaved on the sparring grounds now, fending off Niobe and Aella. Diana could see that they were both keeping their strength in check – the Bat of Gotham might seem more myth than man to his opponents, but Bruce _was_ human, his bones and muscles fragile compared to an Amazon’s full strength – but they didn't bother to hold back either their speed or their skill. 

“He's fast for someone that big,” Menalippe commented. She'd been watching the fight since before Diana had joined her, and there was some grudging respect in her voice. Bruce's face was a mask of grim concentration, his bare torso gleamed with sweat in the bright sunlight, but he managed to hold his own. Diana hadn't ever met any other human she would have thought capable of that.

She grimaced in sympathy when Bruce's knee slammed hard into Niobe's side, the blunt force of it pushing her backwards so he could pivot and defend himself against Aella's next attack. Diana had sparred with Bruce a few times herself back in Gotham – most of the Amazons fought above all with their upper body, whether it was with fists or swords and shields. Bruce fought with his whole body, and Diana had learnt to respect the strength of his thighs almost more than the force of his punches.

“Not bad for a man,” Menalippe conceded, and Diana couldn't help but smile.

“He's considered somewhat above average in Man's world.” 

Underneath them, Bruce let out a muffled groan when Niobe's elbow connected firmly with his cheekbone. He stumbled backwards, but he didn't go down.

“And I'm glad you have a capable warrior to watch your back out there, Diana.” Menalippe's face remained serious, but her eyes had softened. Even after a century they were all still so worried about Diana – Amazons fought together, side by side, supporting and protecting each other. One Amazon alone was still a great warrior, but the thought of fighting alone struck all of her sisters as unnecessarily foolhardy. Now that she was not fighting alone anymore, for the first time in a century, Diana was remembering why. Menalippe added, “I hope he appreciates having you to watch his.”

“He's learning.” 

 

Bruce was actually out of breath when he sat down with her an hour later – for the first time since she'd known him – but he looked almost relaxed. She offered him water and peaches, and a cool rag for the bruise that was already forming on his cheekbone. It didn't look half as bad as the scars littering his torso, the burn at his shoulder, the bullet wounds in his side, the long deep scratches over his back. He'd been more dressed when they had sparred down in the Cave in Gotham, away from the glaring heat of the sun. She'd never seen the marks a life of fighting had left on his body – muscles as hard and honed as any Amazon’s, skin that had been ripped open far too often.

But he had the hint of a smile on his face, and the sigh he let out sounded more like contentment after a job well done than pain.

“You look like you enjoyed yourself,” Diana said.

“I may have learned a thing or two since we got here, and not only in the library.” He studied her, seriously when Diana found a smile creeping to her face. “What?”

“I've spent enough time among mankind to know how many men would complain about being beaten by a woman. And you strike me as a man who doesn't appreciate being beaten by anyone at all.”

Bruce let out a brief bark of a laugh, as if the idea hadn't even occurred to him.

“I've had many teachers over the years, some male, some female.” He touched the bruise on his cheek with careful fingers. “They wouldn't have taught me much if they hadn't been stronger and faster and better than me.”

“Knowing you, you trained relentlessly until you surpassed them all.”

“You say that like you didn't once do the same thing.” 

It took her a moment to realise that he was teasing, when his tone had remained as dry as ever, and she laughed. She thought back of her childhood, when she'd been so impatient to learn how to fight. Of her youth, when she'd spent endless hours training in secret with Antiope. Of all the years when she'd woken in the morning and sparred until sundown. 

She imagined that it had been a far more joyful experience for her than Bruce's own journey. He didn't fight like a man who took joy in either the fight or the strength of his body – more like his body was a tool to be beaten into shape, to be used for whatever he needed to do. Maybe one day he would tell her what had given him such drive, such rage at the world and at himself. Maybe the day she would tell him about the photograph.

But he looked calm now, like his usual anger had been drained out of him. Maybe it had done him some good to leave Gotham for a few days, even if this had hardly been a vacation for him. Hippolyta's hour-long interrogation when they'd first arrived would have probably ruined most men's week.

“Anyway, just give me some time,” Bruce said with a small grin, after a few minutes of silence while they watched the sparring grounds. There was a hint of that playful arrogance in his voice she'd only ever heard from him in public before – of Bruce Wayne, the self-important playboy. She didn't bother to point out that they hardly had the time to stay for much longer when he knew that as well as she did – they'd come for information, and as much as Diana had missed her home, as much as she would have wanted to stay for longer, they had work to do. Work that couldn't wait.

She put her hand on Bruce's forearm and squeezed gently.

“I wish you could have met my aunt,” she said quietly. Sorrow tugged at her heart when she thought of Antiope's smile, of the harshness in her voice when she'd given orders and the gentleness when she'd offered praise, of the days they'd spent together on these very sparring grounds. “I think you two would have liked each other.”

Bruce met her eyes with a quiet understanding – he didn't ask what had happened to Antiope, didn't ask Diana anything at all that she might not want to speak about. Diana had always appreciated his silences. But he nodded as if he understood all thesame, and when she pulled her hand away again, the ache in her chest had numbed a little.

She would have loved to stay in Themyscira for longer, and she was going to miss her home as much as any time she left, but it was easier knowing that they were leaving together.

**Author's Note:**

> Movie canon is pretty unclear about whether or not Diana _can_ return to Themyscira - Hyppolita says, "if you leave, you may not return", but it's not exactly unambiguous whether she means that Diana might die or that she might not be able to find her way back (or, in my opinion rather unlikely in movie!canon, that she might not be allowed to return). Considering that Hyppolita spends most of her screentime worrying about Diana's safety, I thought the first option was the likeliest. So for the sake of this fic, I've decided that Diana can in fact return to Themyscira if she feels like it. She probably had to spend some time arguing with her mother for Bruce to be allowed to tag along, though.
> 
> Also, I hope everyone appreciates the general image of Bruce sparring shirtlessly (he's totally wearing a loincloth). I'm afraid Diana didn't appreciate it enough for me to go on about it at great length in this fic. ;)


End file.
